Using Nanomaterials in Colorimetric Toxin Detection

• Published in: Biochip journal Vol. 15; no. 2; pp. 123 - 134
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Quynh Huong, Kim, Moon Il
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Korean BioChip Society (KBCS) 01.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V; 한국바이오칩학회
• Subjects: Algae; Antibodies; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biosensors; Biotechnology; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chromatography; Colorimetry; Endangered & extinct species; Enzymes; Food contamination; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Noble metals; Oxidation; Poisoning; Review Article; Shellfish; Signal transduction; Toxins; 생물공학; Point-of-care testing; Colorimetric biosensors; Nanozyme; Noble metal nanoparticle; Toxin detection
• ISSN: 1976-0280; 2092-7843
• DOI: 10.1007/s13206-021-00013-4

Exposure to toxins through contaminated food is a serious concern. For the detection of toxins in complex matrices, there are many analytical instrumentation-based methods; however, these approaches are generally expensive, laborious to perform, and require skilled technicians. Thus, they can only be utilized in centralized laboratories. To efficiently prevent the contamination by toxins and improve food safety, the use of on-site toxin detection methods enabling simple, rapid, sensitive, specific, reliable, and affordable identification of toxins is required. A colorimetric toxin detection strategy providing a naked-eye readout platform suits these requirements. Notably, the implementation of nanomaterials in the colorimetric strategy has proven to rapidly generate a higher capacity for detectable color responses owing to their unique physicochemical and catalytic properties. In this review, recent research on colorimetric toxin detection utilizing diverse nanostructures including noble metal nanoparticles and enzyme-like catalytic nanomaterials (nanozymes) is reviewed and discussed. Current challenges and future prospects for the utilization of nanomaterials in colorimetric toxin detection are also discussed.